Resistance Band Ab Exercises

Finding resistance band ab exercises is hard. Most people automatically assume they are going to be stuck in an endless loop of sit ups but this does not have to be the case!

Using resistance in the form of a band or some other type of elastic is going to be beneficial because the muscles are going to be under constant tension with the contraction, and then the release. If the muscle is under tension in both directions, you will get a better workout, burn more calories, and have better muscle growth.

In the following article, i am going to go over some ab workouts that can be done with resistance bands. These are the 4 types I will be going over.

• Abdomainal Twists
• Side Raises
• Resist Crunches
• Resist Leg Crunches

Lets get into them one by one!

Resistance Band Ab Exercises (The Twist!)

One of my favorite exercises is to work the obliques, or the outer abs. Going to the gym daily, I have seen many people performing these exercises and they are great because they can be performed in the comfort of your own home.

Abdominal Twist

Abdominal twists are a pretty easy exercise to do. First thing is first. You will need to purchase a resistance band set. I will suggest this one because it comes with a few different bands with different resistances and also comes with a door hook.

Now to begin this exercise, take your band, and attach it to an anchor. This anchor point should be the height in the middle of your body. Stand facing ahead with the anchor point to either side. Grasp the handles with your hands (there should be tension here) and then slowly move your hands in front of you which will contract your abs.

This action should look like the picture to the right. Remember to keep your arms straight and do not bend the elbow. This will put all the tension in your abs which is the muscle you want to target.

Do a set on one side, and then turn around to face the other direction and do another set. Always make sure you work both sides of your obliques.

Side Raises

I see a lot of people doing these in the gym with plates, but if you can do resistance band ab exercises that target the same muscles with your favorite band handy. Here is how you do the side raise.

Stand upright and place the elastic band under your feet. You want to be standing about shoulder width apart. If you want to make this exercise harder, simply take a wider stance. Then you should grab the handles in the standing position.

Slowly bend to one side with your arm and reach toward your feet. You will start to feel your obliques contract as you bend over to the side, and then slowly go back up to the standing position. Alternate sides to focus on both oblique muscles.

This is a powerful exercise and you will feel the burn quickly if you are not used to working out your obliques. The muscle is under constant tension which will lead to better development.

Anchored Side Raise

I always like to take different variations of an exercise so I never get bored when i am working out. This is going to be a side raise with a low anchor. If you are doing these at home, find the bottom of a door and place your resistance band under it.

Stand up straight and grab the band in one hand while the other side of the band is under your door. Create some resistance, and then raise your body from that side to an upright position.

When you want to work the other side, simply turn around, grab the band with your other hand, and begin the exercise again.

Resistance Band Ab Exercises – The Crunch

Normal crunches are a bit boring and can be hard on your neck and back. For this article, I want to take a look at some alternative crunches that you can do with your set of resistance bands.

Ab Hook Crunch

I usually do these at the gym as well, but with a resistance band, you can do the same type of resisted crunch.

To begin, take your resistance band, and attach it to a high up spot like the very top of a door. Take the handles in your hands and get on your knees. You want to be facing away from the door to be able to do this exercise. On your knees, facing away from the door, sitting up is the starting position.

Then place your hands in front of your chest, and crunch over bringing your head towards the floor.

This is the simple ab hook crunch and you will begin to feel it as using the elastic band will place a lot of resistance moving away from the door when you contract.

Leg Crunch

Finally, we have the leg crunch which is just like a leg raise but in a mountain climber position.

To begin, get on your knees and put your hands on the ground. You want to stagger your feet but it should look like you are almost in the push up position. You will look like a mountain climber.

Attach one side of your resistance band to your ankle and the other side to the bottom of a table or something similar.

Get in the position, and bring your knee towards your chest. This will contract your abs. Do this for a set, and then switch feet to get the other side.

Wrapping It Up

This is just the beginning. There are so many resistance band ab exercises out there. Give these few a try for a few weeks and let us know how it goes!